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the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

Record Number: 1418


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

Extract of letter from Thomas De Quincey to Mary Wordsworth, given in 30 December 1810 letter from Dorothy Wordsworth to Catherine Clarkson: '"W. Scott's last novel, the Lady of the Lake, is the grand subject of prattle and chatter hereabouts. I have read it aloud to oblige my Mother, and a more disgusting Task I never had. I verily think that it is the completest magazine of all forms of the Falsetto in feeling and diction that now exists ... I have given great offence to some of Walter's idolaters ... in particular, by calling it a novel (which indeed it is; only a very dull one)."'

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1810 and 31 Dec 1810

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Thomas De Quincey

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

15 Aug 1785

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Writer

Religion:

unknown

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

Mother of Thomas De Quincey


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Walter Scott

Title:

The Lady of the Lake

Genre:

Fiction, Poetry

Form of Text:

Unknown

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

1418

Source:

Print

Author:

William and Dorothy Wordsworth

Editor:

Ernest De Selincourt

Title:

The Letters of William and Dorothy Wordsworth: The Middle Years Part I (1806-1811)

Place of Publication:

Oxford

Date of Publication:

1969

Vol:

1

Page:

458

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

William and Dorothy Wordsworth, Ernest De Selincourt (ed.), The Letters of William and Dorothy Wordsworth: The Middle Years Part I (1806-1811), (Oxford, 1969), 1, p. 458, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=1418, accessed: 06 December 2024


Additional Comments:

None

   
   
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